


Raw Strength

by castles_and_crowns



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Post-Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Pre-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Skywalker Family Feels, Training of Ben Solo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2019-02-18 11:05:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13098780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/castles_and_crowns/pseuds/castles_and_crowns
Summary: About ten years after the Battle of Endor, Luke returns home to his family for a short visit.  He learns that Leia is concerned about her son, Ben, who has been acting strange lately.  They discuss Leia's concerns and determine how to deal with the issue.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This started as an unfinished one-shot that I attempted to write months ago. Then after seeing The Last Jedi, I was inspired to try to complete it.
> 
> Obviously, these are not my characters and this is not my world.

It was one of those very rare occasions that Luke had returned to visit his family. Currently, Leia, Han, and nine-year-old Ben were living on Naboo, where the galactic senate was currently located, and Luke had returned home for a parade being held in the rebellion’s honor. To be perfectly honest, Luke had been quite hesitant to return. Since the Battle of Endor, he had made a serious effort to remain under-the-radar. He didn’t want a place in galactic government, and he didn’t want the new Jedi order involved in politics either.

A few years ago, Luke had settled on a remote planet and set up a small Jedi academy. He had less than a dozen students, and most of them were quite young. Luke had done his best to teach the new generation of Jedi with the scattered pieces of information he had discovered in the first few years after the war. He had tried to recruit his nephew Ben to join, but Leia had put her foot down immediately.

When Luke arrived on the capital city of Theed, he rented a speeder and flew it to the senate apartments located in the center of the city. He always enjoyed coming back to Naboo as it was the one connection he had to his mother. About two years after the war, Leia had done an enormous amount of research and discovered that their mother was Padme Amidala Naberrie. Together, they flew to Naboo and met with people who knew Padme. They also visited the palace and got to see her royal portrait as well as a random assortment of objects that had been hers. It had been an important trip for the twins, and it had profoundly strengthened their bond.

Luke went to put his fist on the apartment door to knock, but, before he could, Leia opened the door.

“Luke!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him.

“Hey,” he replied, hugging her back.

“It’s so good to see you,” Leia said, pulling back and smiling broadly.

“It’s good to see you too. I’ve missed you.”

Leia hit him playfully on the arm. “Then come visit more often! It’s been eighteen standard months, Luke!”

“I know, I know,” Luke muttered guiltily as he followed his sister into her apartment.

“Hey, kid.  Long time no see.” Han said as he pulled Luke into a hug.

“Ben!” Leia exclaimed, as Han and Luke hugged. “Luke is here!”

“He’s been a bit under the weather,” Han told Luke, and Luke noticed that Leia shot her husband a nervous glance.

Ben entered the living room, and Luke marveled at how much his nephew had grown. At only nine years old, Ben was already taller than Leia and wasn’t much shorter than Luke.  His hair, which was cut short, was black as night and his ears poked out prominently.

“Hello, Ben,” Luke greeted warmly as he hugged his nephew. “You’ve gotten so big.”

“Thanks, Uncle Luke,” Ben replied shyly.

Luke reached into his satchel and pulled out a toy X-wing. “I got this for you. It used to be mine.”

Smiling timidly, Ben accepted the gift and thanked Luke. He then left the room, toy in hand, and went back in the direction he came.

“How in the world did you get that?” Leia questioned.

“I returned to Tatooine a couple months ago. I was in a Mos Eisley browsing around some of the toy stands. I saw the X-wing, and it reminded me of my own, so I picked it up to have a closer look. And it was barely visible, but my initials, L.S., were still etched on the bottom side of the right wing. I knew then it was mine.”

“But how’d it’d end up in Mos Eisley?” Han asked.

“My best guess is that Jawas or some other scavengers rummaged through our burnt compound, cleaned it up and sold it. It’s probably had a few owners since me.”

“Well, isn’t that something,” Han chuckled. “Ben’s been on the _Falcon_ with me a few times. We’ve run some simple simulations, but I’d like to get him up in the sky soon.”

“That’s so exciting!” Luke said, looking from Han to Leia.

Leia smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Luke could feel her in his head. _We need to talk later._

Silently, Luke spoke to his sister. _Sure, Leia._

“So about this parade,” Han said, breaking the twins from their silent communication. “Leia says we will be riding up front on a barge along with Wedge, the Endor ground strike team, and the rest of the Red Squadron.”

Luke nodded but said, “All of this fanfare makes me really uncomfortable. It’s not who I am.”

“Oh, you haven’t heard the worst of it,” Han said. “When I said ‘we,’ I meant Leia and myself. You’re going to be riding at the very front on your own ship.”

Luke almost felt sick. He really didn’t want all of this attention. “But why?”

Han looked awkwardly from Leia to Luke. “Because…you killed the Emperor and…Vader.”

“ _But I didn’t!”_ Luke exclaimed. “I didn’t kill either of them, you know—“

“We know, Luke,” Leia said. “But the rest of the world doesn’t, remember? So you’ve got to pretend.”

“Can’t I just stay on the sidelines and watch Ben?” Luke asked.

“Kid, if I have to be in this damned thing, so do you,” Han replied. “Now, come sit down. Leia made dinner for once.”

“Well, I tried,” Leia laughed.

The three friends stayed up late that night, talking and drinking Corellian brandy. It wasn’t something Luke, as a Jedi, typically participated in, but he was on hiatus right now, so he figured he’d indulge himself. Eventually, they grew tired and retired to their rooms. Before they said goodnight, Leia reached out to Luke to offer a message: _Wait fifteen minutes and meet me back out here._

 _Okay,_ he responded.

Luke waited the fifteen minutes that Leia had asked and then quietly returned to the living area. Around five minutes after that, Leia, clad in a navy robe, entered the room.

“Sorry,” she said quietly. “I had to wait for Han to fall asleep. Usually he falls asleep instantly, but I think he’s a little anxious about tomorrow.”

“Aren’t we all?” Luke commented as he scooted over on the couch, so that Leia could sit beside him. “So, what’s this all about?”

Leia’s expression turned serious, almost dark. “It’s about Ben. I’ve sensed a change in him.”

“How so?” Luke asked.

“Remember earlier when Han said that Ben’s been a little under the weather?”

Luke nodded in response.

“It’s not that simple. He’s been lashing out lately. He gets really, really mad, Luke. And when we try to talk to him about it, he folds in on himself. He cries and refuses to talk to us about why he gets so angry. Han believes he’s just being moody and that he’ll grow out of it.”

“But you don’t?” Luke questioned.

Leia shook her head. “No. I sense something darker; it’s foreboding. Did you sense it when you saw him earlier?”

“I can’t say that I did.”

“I just don’t know what to do, especially since his bad behavior isn’t constant. Sometimes he can be a really sweet boy. Like when Han takes him on _The Falcon_ , he’s so happy. But then other times, he’s just… _awful_.”

Luke sensed his sister’s worry. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and trying to calm her nerves with his own inner stillness. When he opened his eyes, Leia seemed to have relaxed ever so slightly.

“So what do you intend to do?” Luke asked.

“Do you think he can use the Force?” Leia said, answering Luke with another question.

“I would assume that he possesses the gift. I could sit with him and see what he can do. But, you told me—“

Leia interrupted him. “I know what I told you: I didn’t want Ben training with you because I feared he would become like Vader. But now I’m beginning to fear that he’ll become Vader if he doesn’t train, if he doesn’t learn to focus his energy for good.”

“Well, tomorrow after the parade, I can sit with him and see what kind of ability he might have.”

“Thank you, Luke.”

“Of course,” Luke replied. He observed his sister’s expression. It was pensive. Luke suspected she was off in her own world at the moment. In days past, Luke may have attempted to tap into her head to see what she was thinking, but they were older and more mature now. Luke knew that that kind of behavior was very invasive to Leia, even if Luke was trying to do it for good. After a few moments of silence, Luke spoke again. “What is it?”

Leia sighed. “I’m going to say something, and I don’t want you to get mad.”

“Okay,” Luke responded.

“Naturally, Ben will be spending much more time with you if you train him. If he does, I don’t want him to know about Vader.”

“About Vader or about Anakin?”

Leia gave Luke a _look._ “You know what I mean.”

“You don’t want me to tell him about Anakin becoming Vader,” Luke said seriously.

“He knows about Darth Vader, the menace of the entire galaxy. He’s learned about it at school, and he’s heard his friends talk about it. One time, a few years ago, he had three friends over and they were playing acting out events they learned from history. They were in Ben’s room, so I didn’t know what was going on. All of a sudden I walk in, and I see my son in a black cape pretending to Force choke his friend. I was horrified and ended that game immediately. So yes, he knows about Vader. And he knows that his grandfather was a man named Anakin Skywalker who was a Jedi during the clone wars. But he does not—and will not—know the connection between them.”

“Ever?” Luke asked.

“I haven’t decided if we’ll ever tell him,” Leia admitted, rubbing her temples as if the mere thought of telling Ben the true identity of his grandfather gave her a massive headache.

“What does Han think?”

“Han says it’s my decision,” Leia answered. “And, of course, if we do decide to tell him, I want you to be there. I can never look at Vader the way that you do, but maybe Ben can. He doesn’t have the personal experience that I do.”

Luke nodded. They had both suffered tremendously at Vader’s hand, but only Luke got to see Vader turn back to Anakin Skywalker in the last moments of his life. While Luke had forgiven his father in his last moments on the second Death Star, he knew that Leia never had.

“It would mean a lot to me to be there for that conversation, Leia.”

“If it happens,” Leia added.

“Yes, if it happens,” Luke repeated.

“Can I say one more thing?”

“Of course,” Luke answered.

“Can we meditate together?”

“Now?”

“Yes,” Leia said, nodding.  "I think it would be good for me after the past few months.  I try to do it by myself, but I always feel so much better when we do it together."

Luke smiled, feeling so full of warmth. After they discovered that they were twins, Luke had taught Leia a few things about the Force, particularly meditation. He never had the opportunity to teach Leia in full, partly because Leia was not interested in becoming a Jedi and partly because they were apart more than they were together. Hearing her request that they meditate together now was moving, almost joyous.

“Of course, Leia,” Luke said, grabbing her hands and holding them firmly in his own.

He watched his sister close her dark brown eyes, and then he closed his own light blue ones. They took a breath in unison and delved into the Force.


	2. Chapter 2

Luke woke up the next morning later than Leia, Han, or Ben. He wasn’t used to sleeping in such a nice bed and had fallen into a long peaceful sleep. After showering in the ‘fresher and changing into his all black ensemble, Luke went into the kitchen where everyone was eating breakfast and already dressed in their parade outfits. Leia was wearing a shimmering navy blue gown, and her hair was in a braided up-do. Han, being Han, was simply wearing brown pants, a white shirt, and a brown leather jacket. Luke wasn’t even sure if Han had brushed his hair. Lastly, Ben, who would be sitting in a reserved stand on the parade route with other children of heroes of the New Republic, was wearing a tunic and pants in a similar shade of blue to Leia’s dress.

“Good morning,” Han said. “Are you excited about today?”

Luke chuckled dryly. “I’m overjoyed.”

Leia gave both her husband and her brother stern looks. “You two behave yourselves.”

“Why don’t you want to be in the parade?” Ben asked quietly, as he chewed on his food. He was looking at Luke curiously.

Luke smiled kindly at Ben. “Jedi are supposed to reject vanity. We don’t seek out attention, and we aren’t supposed to crave it.”

“So, why are you doing it?” Ben asked, staring at look intensely.

“Because it means a great deal to a lot of people. The Battle of Endor was when the galaxy at large stopped looking at Rebel Alliance as rebels and began looking at us as the New Republic. So, along with the signing of the Galactic Concordance, we celebrate today because it was a huge turning point in the fight. Do you understand?”

Ben nodded, though he was clearly still trying to process it.

“Sometimes,” Leia cut in, “It’s important for people to see their heroes because it’s what they may need at a certain moment. It is inspirational and encouraging. So even though Uncle Luke and Dad would prefer to do without the fanfare, we’re participating today because it means a lot to the citizens of the galaxy.”

“I understand,” Ben said, smiling a little.

Soon after breakfast, Leia left with Ben to drop him off with the other children he’d be sitting with, while Luke and Han went straight to the start of the parade route.

“You nervous, kid?” Han asked Luke, as they sped through the streets of Theed.

For someone who didn’t use the Force, Luke was always impressed with how perceptive Han could be when he wanted to. 

“I am,” Luke answered. “I’m looking forward to seeing everyone, but I still don’t like all of this attention.”

Han nodded. “Well, I think what you and Leia told Ben was perfect. We’re doing this for the galaxy, not for ourselves. Because if I was thinking about myself, I wouldn't be doing this.”

“Yeah,” Luke agreed.

They rode in silence for a few minutes and then Han said, “Has Leia kept you up to date on what’s been happening in the senate?” His voice was serious, almost ominous.

Luke looked sharply at Han. “No.”

“Well, it’s not wide-spread information yet, but Mon Mothma is ill—has been for a while now. I’m no medic, but she has this degenerative disease; it’s a slow killer apparently. She’s gradually been taking on less and less responsibility. But in her absence, the seeds of dissatisfaction are already starting to grow. Nothing too divisive has happened yet, no concrete factions—but Leia hears the whispers more and more every day. Leia’s afraid that Mon, due to her illness, won’t be able to keep a hold on the senate for much longer. The first cracks have started to show, and it’s only been ten years since the senate’s formation.”

“Wow.”

“She hopes that today’s parade will not only inspire the galaxy’s general population, but will also reinvigorate the Senate to remain noble. She hopes the parade will remind everyone what they fought for and sacrificed.”

“I hope it does too,” Luke agreed. “Will Mon be here today?”

“If she’s feeling up to it,” Han shrugged, making a sharp turn onto a side street.

Luke saw a bunch of large speeders, barges, and convertible ships lined up. Looking closer, he also saw many familiar faces that, up until that moment, he had forgotten about. Han parked the speeder, and the two men got out and walked toward their fellow comrades-in-arms.

First to approach him was Kes Dameron, the husband of a pilot who assisted Luke with some of his private missions after the Battle of Endor.

“Master Skywalker, it’s good to see you,” Kes greeted, extending a hand.

“Kes, it’s good to see you too. And please, call me Luke.”

“You’ll always be Master Skywalker to me,” Kes said warmly.

“How is Shara? Is she here?”

Kes smiled sadly. “Unfortunately, she passed away four years ago.”

“I am so sorry for you and your son’s loss,” Luke told him, feeling sad. Shara had been a trusted friend. 

“Thank you. It was difficult at first, but your sister and Han have been a great support. Poe and Ben play together occasionally, and sometimes Han takes them up in his ship. I can tell already that Poe’s definitely going to be a pilot like his mom.”

“That’s wonderful,” Luke exclaimed. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Admiral Ackbar coming towards him. The Mon Cala smiled broadly as he approached Luke.

“Commander Skywalker,” he greeted in his gravely voice. “We’re so grateful that you’ve come today.”

“I’m happy to be here,” Luke replied. It wasn’t entirely untrue. It was nice to see his old companions.

“Did your sister tell you where you’d be riding?”

Luke nodded. “I must tell you, Admiral, I’d be much more comfortable riding with her and Han on the barge with the rest of the ground strike team. I was on the ground after all.”

“Yes, but ultimately, you played a different role in the defeat of the Empire,” Ackbar responded. “You assassinated its two most important members.”

Luke fought to keep his expression neutral, by drawing strength from the Force. There had been so many moments in the past ten years where Luke had wanted to admit the truth about what happened that day on the Death Star, but he knew he couldn’t, largely because of Leia. People wouldn’t understand why Vader had killed the Emperor and saved Luke, unless it was revealed that Luke was Vader’s son. And because people already knew that Luke and Leia were twins, people would then, by default, know who Leia’s biological father had been. Luke understood that no one could know that she was the daughter of Darth Vader. It would destroy everything Leia had ever worked toward.

When he felt centered again, he said, “I understand, Admiral. It was just a suggestion, as it is not the Jedi way to desire attention.”

Ackbar put his large, slick hand on Luke’s shoulder. “I understand, Commander. But just for today, will you do this for us?”

“I will,” Luke agreed.

Luke spent the next hour or so catching up with other old rebels before being directed onto a small barge. His barge was right up front, only behind the one that held Mon Mothma (whose speech was now slow and stuttered and who walked with a cane), Admiral Ackbar, General Jan Dodonna, and a few others in high leadership positions. Right behind him was the ship holding Leia and Han. 

The parade got going soon after he boarded the barge. Luke was directed to just stand proudly and wave, and so he did just that. 

As the parade made its way through the streets of the New Republic’s current capital, Luke was astounded by how many people lined the streets to watch and cheer on the parade. He was even more blown away by the fact that he saw some people crying in the streets as his barge passed by. Luke realized that Leia was right: it was so important for the citizens of the galaxy to see their heroes. 

When he passed the stand that Ben was sitting in, he saw his nephew staring at him, wide-eyed and fascinated. Luke made eye contact with Ben and waved. He felt a connection he previously hadn't felt—a Force connection—with his nephew, similar to the one he shared with Leia. He knew then that Ben had the ability to use the Force, though he still wanted to sit down with him later to see where his mind was.

After the parade, there was a short reception held in a ballroom in the Senate building. Luke continued to mingle with old friends, which he enjoyed. What he did not enjoy, however, were the senators and dignitaries who wanted to talk with him and ask him questions about the Jedi academy.

Currently, Luke was stuck in a conversation with a senator from Arreyel. The woman, Vandi Groff, was a few years younger than Luke, and Luke was pretty sure she was flirting with him. Having dedicated his entire life to the Jedi, Luke had neither time nor much interest in romantic relationships, and up until this point, he’d never had to explicitly turn someone down before. He was getting the distinct feeling, however, that he would have to pretty soon unless he could get out of this conversation.

From across the room, Luke spotted Leia, who was talking to General Madine. While still pretending to listen to Vandi, Luke reached out to Leia, hoping she would be in-tune enough with the Force at the moment to hear him. Seconds later, Leia turned around and caught his eye. She smirked at him as he sent out an SOS message. Her smirk broadened into a wide grin, and she started to walk over to him.

“So, anyway, if you’re ever looking to open another Jedi academy, we’d love to have one on Arreyel. I’m certain I could get you any funding you may need.” As Vandi said this last part, she put her hand on Luke’s arm.

Luke was about to mutter out some weak response when Leia swooped in. “Excuse me Vandi, I need to steal my brother away.”

Vandi’s face dropped, but she didn’t object. Leia took Luke’s hand and led him away from the flirtatious woman.

“Thank you,” Luke sighed in relief.

“She’s the worst, isn’t she?” Leia said, laughing.

“Maybe not the worst,” Luke answered diplomatically.

“I think she wanted to be Mrs. Vandi Skywalker,” Leia said, as they approached the bar.

Luke laughed. “I think she did.”

“So, was today as miserable as you’d thought it’d be?”

Luke shook his head. “Actually, no. It wasn’t awful. I spotted Ben in the crowd. He seemed completely captivated by the whole thing.”

Leia smiled for a moment and then frowned. “Yeah, he probably was. He used to ask Han and me to tell him old war stories all the time. Lately—since he’s become more withdrawn—he hasn’t really been asking anymore.”

“When I saw him in the stand, we made eye-contact. I felt a Force connection with him. It was a strong and unique feeling I haven't felt before with him. Actually, it felt similar to the one I have with you. I’ll sit down with him tonight and see if we can’t explore his skill a little further.”

“You felt a connection?” Leia asked, as she grabbed a glass of Correlian wine. “Did you feel anything else?”

“No, but I didn’t want to dig too deep without him being aware.”

Leia nodded. “Tonight then.”

Luke could sense his sister's apprehension just as clearly as he could see it on her face.


	3. Chapter 3

“Are you sure about this, Leia?” Han asked, as he, Luke, and Leia sat in the living room.

“I am,” Leia said firmly. “I want Luke to see if Ben is capable to being trained.”

“I seem to recall the two of you having a massive argument a few months after Ben’s birth. Luke wanted Ben to train with him if he was ‘Force-sensitive,’ and you told him no.”

“Forcefully,” Luke added, glancing over at Leia and smirking.

“The two of you didn’t talk for weeks,” Han said.

“I know what I said, Han,” Leia replied. Luke could feel the frustration radiating off of his sister. “But, you can’t deny things with him have been different in the past year or so.”

“Leia—“ Han began, his voice pained.

“Don’t ‘Leia’ me,” she retorted, cutting him off. “I’m worried about him. He may have this great, enormous gift, and he may have no idea what to do with it. He might need Luke to help…shape him and his ability.”

"But what if it has nothing to do with the Force?” Han asked.

“But what if it does?” Leia asked back.

It had been awhile since Luke found himself in the middle of one of Han and Leia’s fights. He had hated it then, and he hated it now.

“We can just see,” Luke said calmly, hoping to cool them both down.

Han groaned but then nodded his head. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Leia asked apprehensively.

“Yes, okay,” Han said, grabbing her hand. “We’ll let Luke…. see what he can see.”

“It would probably be best if it’s just Ben and me. Maybe you two could go out for a walk?” Luke suggested.

Han shrugged neutrally, but Leia looked at Luke uneasily. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Luke answered. “The less distraction, the better. And he might be nervous with you two hanging around.”

“Okay,” Leia sighed. “We’ll go for a walk.”

“How will we know when you two are done?” Han asked.

Luke glanced over at Leia and smiled. Then Leia said, “He’ll let me know.”

Han sighed, and Luke suppressed a chuckle. Han would and could never understand the intricacies of the Force and the connection the twins shared.

Soon after, Leia called Ben into to the living room and told him that Luke would be spending some time with him, while she and Han went for a walk for a little while. Ben seemed confused but not nervous or upset.

Once alone, Luke gently instructed Ben to sit on the floor across from him. Ben did as instructed, and the two saw cross-legged facing each other.

“Ben, I want you to close your eyes and reach out with your feelings. Do you sense anything? Do you feel anything?”

Luke watched as Ben closed his eyes, and he felt his nephew’s spirit search outward into the room.

“I sense you. And…the plants Mom has decorated the room with. And…a bug.”

Luke smiled and nodded. “Very good. Now, can you feel what I feel?”

Ben paused for a moment, and then with his eyes still closed, he said, “You are happy…and calm.”

“Very good, Ben,” Luke said. “Now, I want you to clear your mind the best you can. I know it will be hard, but just try your best. You’re going to feel something, okay? It will be me reaching into your head. It won’t hurt, okay? Your mom and I do it sometimes with each other.”

“Okay,” Ben replied.

Luke waited a few moments and then closed his own eyes. He searched his nephew’s feelings, trying to gauge what was in Ben’s head. 

Luke saw strength…struggle…and conflict. But he also saw great skill and great purpose. Ben was very strong in the Force. Leia was probably right; his sullenness was likely his inability to deal with this enormous gift he possessed. 

“You can open your eyes, Ben,” Luke said, smiling softly. “You were very good just now.”

“I was?” Ben asked, his eyes as wide as they were earlier in the day when he was observing the parade.

“Yes, you were. Now, I want you to do one more thing. You can keep your eyes opened for this.”

“Okay.”

Luke got up from sitting and went over to the couch. He removed a throw pillow and then went and sat back down across from Ben. Luke placed the pillow exactly between them.

“I want you to see if you can move this.”

Luke was going to offer additional instructions, but he didn’t need to. Almost immediately after giving the directions, Ben lifted his hand and the pillow rose from the floor and moved towards him until it sat in his lap. Ben put his hand down and hugged the pillow to his chest.

Luke was stunned. “Ben, have you done this before?”

Ben looked afraid, like he thought he was in trouble. He didn’t answer.

“Don’t be scared,” Luke said gently. “What you did just now was really special.”

“I do it all the time,” Ben answered at last. “Only when I’m by myself though. I don’t want Mom and Dad to get mad at me.”

Luke nodded. “Ben, you’re very gifted. I’m proud of you, you know?”

“For lifting a pillow?” Ben asked quizzically.

Luke laughed and stood up. “Sort of.”

When Leia and Han returned, the three of them tucked Ben into bed and then regrouped in the living room. 

“Ben is strong in the Force—very strong. He’s got raw strength like I’ve never seen. It’s incredible, to be frank.”

“Should we be worried?” Han asked.

Luke thought about this for a moment before replying. “I sensed struggle and conflict in him. I couldn’t get deeper than that, though I think that’s because he’s so young. He is feeling emotions without fully understanding why he feels them. It’s very possible it could just be confused about the gift he has because he doesn’t understand it.”

“You didn’t sense a darkness?” Leia asked.

“No,” Luke answered honestly. “I really think he’s just scared of his ability, like you suggested.” Luke picked up the pillow that Ben had lifted earlier. “I asked him to lift this, and he did. But he didn’t need any help or prompting. No direction or guidance. He just did it. I asked him if he had ever done that before, and he said he had. He’s aware of his ability, and he doesn’t understand it. So naturally, he’s withdrawn and irritable.”

Luke felt Leia’s worry immediately dissipate. “That’s wonderful news!”

“It is,” Luke agreed, now turning to Han. “Han, what do you think?”

Han shrugged and said, “You’re the expert. We trust your opinion. My only question is…where do we go from here?”

“Well,” Luke began. “I’d like to train with him, if you two will let him. Currently, I’ve got eight other students. We train for ten standard months out of the year. You wouldn’t be able to see him during his training period. We don’t reveal where we train, and occasionally we move around. Most of the kids I’m teaching are around his age.”

“We wouldn’t get to see him during training?” Leia asked, her eyes now watery.

“Not in person. You can still communicate with him though, just like you do with me.”

Leia wiped away a tear that had fallen and nodded. “Han?”

“If that’s what you two think is best. I just want Ben to be happy again.”

Luke smiled. “Of course.”

“So when will he started?” Leia asked.

“We start training again next week.”

“That soon?” Han said. Luke couldn’t sense his feelings in the same way he sensed Leia’s, but he could tell that Han was disappointed.

“Preferably,” Luke told him.

“Okay,” Han said. “Like I said, if that’s what you two think is best.”


	4. Chapter 4

Today was the day Ben was leaving to train with Luke. The morning after the trio decided that Ben would train with Luke, the three of them sat the child down and explained to him that he was going to study with his uncle. Ben seemed overjoyed, and Luke sensed that Ben felt like he might finally have a purpose now, an understanding of his gift. 

“I’m going to miss you so much,” Leia said, as she hugged her son in the private hangar where Luke had kept his ship.

“I’m going to be fine, Mom,” the young boy replied shyly. Even though his mood had improved dramatically in the past two weeks, he was still introverted.

“I know you will because I know Uncle Luke would never let anything bad happen to my only child,” Leia said, looking up at her brother who was watching the mother-son exchange.

“Ben is going to do great, Leia, you don’t need to worry,” Luke told his sister.

“Yeah, Leia, stop all the fussing. Like he said himself, Ben will be fine. I mean, he’s practically a grown man,” Han joked as he pulled his son into an embrace.

“Can I talk to you for a second?” Leia said to Luke as Han and Ben hugged.

“Sure,” Luke said, and the two walked around to the side of Luke’s ship.

“I know we talked about this before, but I wanted to mention it again.”

Luke knew what Leia was going to say. She had mentioned it to Luke multiple times over the past two weeks. But he knew how important this was to Leia, so he let her speak.

“I don’t know what kind of history you teach at the academy, but I want to reiterate that I don’t want Ben ever knowing about our connection to Vader”

“I know, Leia,” Luke said kindly, putting a hand on his sister’s shoulder.

“Talk about Vader all you want, talk about him being this evil villain, but please do not ever allude to Vader being his grandfather. Do not paint Vader out to be some redeemed hero.”

Luke, who had heard almost these exact same words last night, said, “Okay, Leia. You have my word.”

“And Luke,” Leia continued, her voice breaking, “Take care of my boy.”

Leia collapsed into a puddle of tears, and Luke closed the space between them to hold her.

“You know I will,” Luke promised as he held his sister close. 

“And if you ever, ever sense that something is wrong with him, please send him home. The three of us can sit down with him and try to work out what's troubling him.”

Luke nodded. “I will."

“Thank you, Luke.”

“Of course. He’s a talented boy, Leia. He will do great. A year from now, I bet you’ll be amazed by what he can do.”

Leia pulled apart from Luke so that they could look at each other. “I’m sure I will be. You’re a good teacher.”

“I still wish you would have let me teach you a little more,” Luke said.

“You taught me enough,” Leia replied. “You taught me everything I needed. I don’t need to know how to use a lightsaber. You taught me the essence of the Force, and that’s enough.”

Luke was typically good at controlling his emotions and remaining at peace; however, Leia’s words had really moved him. He pulled his sister into another hug, and they remained like that until Han came over and told them that it was time to go. 

Leia and Han walked Ben onto Luke’s small ship and fussed over him as he got settled into his seat in the cockpit, while Luke got his ship warmed up. He glanced over at his nephew and observed his nephew. Despite his parents’ fussing, Ben looked ecstatic. Luke smiled over at him, and Ben reciprocated the smile. 

“This is it,” Han said, opening his arms to give Luke a hug. “I know you'll take care of him for us.”

Luke hugged Han and said that he would.

“Remember everything we talked about,” Leia said as she pulled her brother into her arms.

“I will.”

“There’s no one else I would trust with my son’s life and learning,” Leia told him, as they remained in their embrace.

“And I take that as the highest honor.”

They broke apart, and Leia and Han gave final hugs and kisses to Ben before exiting Luke’s ship.

Moments later, Luke’s ship was up in the sky.

“Here we go,” he said to Ben. “Get ready because your whole life is about to change.”

**Author's Note:**

> This will be four chapters, updated pretty regularly. I have a rough version already written. I just need time to revise and review.


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